1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a configuration of display information, which configures one screen with multiple screen elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an information processing apparatus, various screens are displayed on a display device according to processing. The contents of the screen are not always completely different for each screen. Elements common to different screens are often used. Even when a number of elements common to multiple screens is large, different display information is prepared for a different screen. This causes a disadvantageous a storage capacity necessary for storing display information. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 9-22338 and 8-305873 disclose the technique in which elements used in common to the multiple screens are standardized and elements necessary for each screen are used to generate each screen.
In order to generate a screen to be displayed on the display device using elements, all elements prepared for the relevant screen must be read from a storage device. When each element is stored as one file in the storage device, the number of times necessary for searching the relevant file will be increased. Unexamined Japanese Patent No. 8-305873 discloses a technique in which elements of the same type are stored together as one file to reduce a processing load applied when the elements are read from the storage device.
In recent years, cellular phones with an information management function and an Internet connection function have come into wide use. The cellular phones have served functions that are performed by general information processing apparatuses (personal computer, PDA, and the like). However, unlike the dedicated information processing apparatuses, the user cannot typically expand memory in the cellular phone to increase the storage capacity. As compared with the general information processing apparatuses, significant restrictions are imposed on the processing ability of the cellular phones in view of their particular storage capacity.
Many cellular phones do not prestore display information, which is necessary for screen display onto the display device, in the storage device. Such information is downloaded from the server apparatus to the cellular phone. When the elements of the same type are stored together as one file as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent No. 8-305873, this is advantageous in view of the storage capacity of the server apparatus, but an amount of information, which is temporarily stored in the storage device of the cellular phone, will be increased. This method is extremely disadvantageous with cellular phones having restrictions on their storage capacities.
Even if each element is stored as one file in the storage device, not only information of the element itself but also information, which is irrelevant to the element itself such as a file header, is included in the file, When the individual file is transmitted to the cellular phone from the server apparatus for each element necessary for generating the screen, much information, which is originally unnecessary for screen display is temporarily stored in the storage device of the cellular phone. This method is extremely disadvantageous with cellular phones having restrictions on their storage capacities.
Regarding a communication rate at which information is transmitted and received to and from the cellular phone, a specification has been officially released to show the maximum communication rate. However, when multiple cellular phones transmit and receive information via the same base station, channel capacity is distributed among the multiple cellular phones. Unlike a high speed connecting such as DSL and optical fiber, etc., the communication rate is sometimes greatly reduced, depending on the condition, as compared with the value shown in the released specification. The reduction in the load to be applied to the network becomes an important element when the cellular phones transmit and receive information.